Gaius Claudius Glaber

Gaius Claudius Glaber (died 73 BC) was a legate and praetor of the Roman Republic during the 1st century BC. Glaber commanded Roman legions in battles against the Getae, Pontus, and the slave uprising of Spartacus, and he was defeated and slain at the Battle of Mount Vesuvius by Spartacus' army.

Thracian campaign
Gaius Claudius Glaber was born to the House of Claudii, a Roman plebeian family. He married into the wealthy House of Albinius, marrying Ilithyia Albinia; in 73 BC, he was promoted to legatus due to the influence of Ilithyia's father, Seantor Albinius. Glaber was given command of a Roman legion in Thrace with the goal of repelling the invasions of Mithridates VI of Pontus' Greek armies and the Getae barbarians; he was sent to defend Thrace from the Getae as Cotta was given command of the legion facing the Greeks. Glaber enlisted the help of the Thracians with repelling the Getae, and he convinced the Maedi council to send some warriors to fight for the Romans as auxiliaries. The Thracians were treated unfairly by the Romans, who enjoyed meals of meat and warm tents, despite the Thracians - who were camped in cold weather and were eating disgusting food - having been the warriors to who had done most of the fighting. Later, Glaber was visited at his camp by his wife Ilithyia, who had snuck into the camp to bring him wine and her body. The devious and ambitious Ilithyia convinced Glaber to fight against Mithridates instead of the Getae, as she wanted him to become a famous general who could become a household name. Glaber decided to forsake the defenseless Thracian villages and order his Thracian auxiliaries to march towards the Black Sea to fight against Mithridates' army, leading to the Thracian warrior Spartacus leading a mutiny as Glaber and his bodyguards arrived at the Thracian camp. Glaber was felled from his horse and knocked unconscious, while his bodyguards were slain by the rebellious Thracian troops. He was left in the mud as the Thracians returned home, where they found that their villages had been burned and the people massacred. Glaber later put down the insurrection and had Spartacus and his wife Sura sold into slavery.

Servile War
Glaber returned to Rome with six captive Thracians, including Spartacus, who became a gladiator. Glaber hoped to run for political office that year, and he was elected one of eight Praetors, despite being implicated in the murder of Marcus Licinius Crassus' cousin Licinia, which was carried out by his own wife. That same year, he was sent by Senator Albinius and Publius Varinius to crush Spartacus' slave uprising, and he vowed to find and kill Spartacus. He used murderous tactics, such as killing the mercenary leader Seppius and using Ashur's gladiators as a personal hit squad, but he failed to subdue Spartacus, and people around him began to look down on him and patronize him. Glaber's marriage began to fall apart due to Senator Albinius' intrigues against him, and he murdered Albinius due to his meddling in his marriage. Glaber started an affair with Seppius' sister Seppia, but Ilithyia returned and killed Seppia before she could murder Glaber, having discovered her brother's murder. Husband and wife reconciled, and Glaber proceeded to trap Spartacus' army on Mount Vesuvius. In the ensuing battle, the slaves used the Romans' own siege equipment against them, and Spartacus managed to stab Glaber through the chest before ramming his blade down Glaber's throat, killing him.